Why fish raised in strange metal pods could be better for us

Off the coast of Hawaii some strange aquaculture is going on — a firm is growing fish in free-floating, open-ocean metal pods. The idea is fish raised in clean, clear currents are not only better to eat, but the method is also better for our environment. It’s being called "mariculture" because the fish are sustainably raised in the open sea.

Marine biologists working at Kampachi Farms have been working on the new style of fish farming. Native Kampachi fish are placed in an odd-looking, 22-foot metal structure called an "Aquapod." The pod is tethered to a staysail sailing schooner and dragged in open ocean currents sometimes up to 150 miles offshore and 12,000 feet deep. Engines are only used when needing to correct course while marine biologists on board track their movements, monitor the project and care for the fish.

In addition to whatever the fish might get that comes through their giant sieve of a home, they are also fed soy and sustainable agricultural proteins. When the fish get too big, some of the floating herd gets culled to reduce density, and the rest are left to float on. The pod never stops moving, touches the bottom or affects the ocean environment around it.